Simon's Turn
by Killer Ladybug
Summary: It's Simon's turn to tango with the Alliance. And everyone is in for a surprise. Intended Pairing mentioned inside.
1. Chapter 1

Simons Turn

(A/N I own nothing nor do I make profit from it. All Chinese swearing will be in English and in parenthesis my computer won't find the dictionary I need; WAAAAAAAAAAAA!)

Finishing the report on Rivers progress I stretched feeling my joints pop and creak. Everyone had bailed as soon as we had landed. Wash and Zoe went to finally buy that slinky dress, Mal to pick up ammo and firearms, Jayne to a bar, Inara to a client, Book to buy more bibles since River loves correcting them (not one bible has yet to survive), and Kaylee took River with her to the junkyard and shopping leaving me to finish working in peace. Standing up I headed out to pick up medical supplies, lord knows we'd need them. A cold chill ran down my spine remembering the times my friends and family required my services. Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, Wash, Book, River and Mal had all had trusted me with their lives, trusted that my hands knew the dances to heal them; it was a gift and a curse because it left no room to hope for someone to pull through because you already know the outcome. And on that happy note I pushed that to the back of my head and focused on buying the best and the cheapest med supplies possible.

After picking up some supplies and new cuss words from the venders, I walked back to the ship and then saw a sight that made my blood run cold. The Alliance apparently did have control on this moon, because two guards were walking towards Kaylee, River and Book who were too busy talking to notice they were on a collision course with the guards. Shit. The guards hadn't recognized River yet but if they got any closer they would. Book saw them but it was too late to change course or hide. So I did what I had to do. I dropped my bag, by now River and Kaylee had noticed the guards and River shrank away. Reaching down, I picked up a small rock and hurled it. It hit its mark and let me tell you that guard was pissed and having recognized me, they gave chase and left River free to get away. The chase had just started when I felt it, a bullet tearing through the soft tissue of my back ricocheting off my ribcage and forcing its way out of my body. My knees hit the ground, I barely had time to drop the note I carried for when River took the last of what I have to offer, my freedom and my life, then the rest of my body. The last thing I saw was my sister trying to get to me, the arms of the Shepherd restraining her as the hands of my enemy took me from her, and I sent her one last thought: _Live free and don't waste what I've done for you. Live and be happy Meimei, I love you. _Then my world went black.

* * *

Carl was the blue hand in charge of the Tam project; the computer he was working at was a new one and he was finishing down loading when the doors behind him swished open. A man waltzed in looking pleased. The man that walked was a guard that was in charge of bringing in packages.

"We got the Tam boy." The man said sounding as pleased as he looked.

"So? We need River Tam, not Simon Tam; you daft idiot! The boy won't even tell us where she is with truth serum! So no information, just a new prisoner! The girl is probably in hands that won't let her come look for him so that is all so out the window!"

*BEEEEP*

Jumping, Carl turned to the computer. There in block letters on the screen were the words: Would you like to see: Tam, Simon File?

"Well, what have we here? I guess the Tam boy does have a secret. Computer open the file; let's see what it is, shall we?"

* * *

Back on Serenity happy was the opposite of what River was at the moment. She didn't notice the return of Mal, Zoe, Wash, Jayne and Inara; because she was too busy cussing and screaming at the resident Shepherd. She knew that it wasn't Book's fault that Simon was gone but if he hadn't held her back Simon might still be there healing and generally being a boob. Kaylee hid in the corner, salty tears painting her face a blotchy red, listening as Book sat solemn faced, still being yelled at by River whose face was in the same state as Kaylee's.

"It's all wrong! He was taken from home right out from under the watcher's eyes! Not here! Two by two no longer! He was here and she did nothing! Your entire fault! If you hadn't dammed the River he would be…home."

River was at this point waving her arms and looked like she was about to hit the Shepherd, seeing this Mal cut in.

"What the (hell) is going on here?! River, shouldn't you be in the infirmary with Simon? And where is he anyway?" And at hearing the name of the lost doctor River and Kaylee started bawling and Book hung his head in a silent prayer that the boy would be okay.

"Male cardinals sacrifice themselves should the female need to get away." And with that River took off toward the infirmary at a run as if hoping to find her Geigei waiting for her. Mal turned to Book for an explanation.

"There was more Alliance control here than we thought and Kaylee, River and I went for a walk and I didn't notice the Alliance guards until we had nowhere to go. But Simon did, and he distracted them long enough for us to get away. He got shot and taken away by the guards in the process."

Kaylee stood.

"I'm going to go check on River."

"I'll go with you." Inara said. Kaylee nodded and they left the room to find their youngest crew member.

"Any chance of getting Simon back from the feds before they go off planet, Shepherd?"

"I'm afraid not, they went off planet the second they caught him. Put the word out but no one's biting. Simon did drop us a note before he was taken." Book said reaching into his pocket and producing a small slip of paper, handing it to Mal. There on the front of the note in Simon's neat core handwriting was his name. Unfolding the paper, he read the note out loud. At this point Inara and Kaylee reappeared having been unable to coax River out of the locked infirmary. It read:

_Mal_

_In the event that I am killed or something happens to me that renders me incapable of caring for River, please take care of River. There is a bank account that should have enough money in it to cover the inconvenience. In addition I have left River's medication and instructions on how to distribute it in the infirmary drawer with the medical tape, if all else fails Jayne can find it. Tell River that I'm with the old king and I'll see her on the 13__th__, she'll know what it means. Tell the crew I'm sorry. Tell Jayne that he has my blessing but if he hurts River and your reading this Mal will have to do the honors for me and hold the shotgun. Tell Kaylee that she should take a chance, you may never get another. Tell Wash and Zoe that they may want to wait to have that baby. Tell Book that I'll miss his lectures. Tell Inara that what is most important is what we always take for granted, and that she may need to brush up on companion dating laws. And Mal I'm sorry I never got to tell you this in person but I never had the nerve. What I wanted to tell you was that I ~~~e ~~~._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Simon R. Tam_

"What happened to the paper? I can't read some of the note." Mal said squinting at the water-ruined blobs of ink on the page willing them to move into letters and give up their secrets.

"It fell in a puddle when he dropped it. By the time I pulled it out some of the writing was washed away."

"What do we do now?" Kaylee asked, her eyes glued to the resident companion and mind turning Simon's words over in her head.

"What Simon asked us to do. Take care of River, and we'll start by getting her out of the infirmary." Mal said heading to the infirmary. Walking up to the infirmary door, he knocked.

"River?"

Rivers quiet voice snaked its way out of the infirmary doors and to the crews' ears. "She's out looking for Simon, not here, go away."

"River, Simon left us a note and he has something he wants me to tell you but I can't tell you through the door." Mal smiled as slowly the infirmary door inched open.

"What is it?"

"It makes no sense to me, but he said you'd understand." Mal said as River slowly moved out of the infirmary, and he signaled for Jayne to block the doors in case she changed her mind and bolted.

"It says that he'll be under the old king on the 13th. Mean anything to you?" River nodded her eyes threatening to let the tears run.

"Every Spring their parents would take them to Yameni to the home of the king of oaks his crown kissed the heavens themselves. The Brother would climb to the top and see the world as the king did, but the River was scared that the king would drop her. So the brother told her to climb to the top and that if the king did drop her that he would catch her. So she climbed and saw the world as the king did and as she feared the king dropped her but there to keep his promise the Brother was there to catch her and deliver her back to the earth. And every time the River climbed the king the Brother waited for her at the bottom. He told the River that if anything should separate them to go to the tree on the 13th and he would be there waiting to catch her again."

"Oh" Mal said pacing the floor thinking of what Simon had written and what had been lost to the stupid puddle. Yameni was two weeks hard burn from here, and they didn't have the supplies.

"Mal?"

Mal jumped at the sound of his name. Turning he looked at River, her kicked puppy eyes were on him.

"Yes, River?"

"Will he be there to catch me?"

"I don't know." Mal saw the look of pain on Rivers face.

"Then who will catch me?"

"I will as long as it takes for your brother to get there."

* * *

Carl stood staring at the body in front of him. "Are you sure this is the right corpse?"

"It ain't a corpse, it has to be dead to be a corpse, she's just missing a mind to run the brain. But she functions just fine." Noticing the way Carl was staring, he smiled. "She's a beauty ain't she?"

"Yes, she is. What did you mean no mind?"

"They wanted to see if they could use it as a weapon, you know replace the mind on the Rebel leaders with one of our own. She was made from DNA stolen from a baby and grew from a test-tube; they wanted to see if they could transfer the mind of the original child in to this body. This body is all ready to go and still has the room for the kids own memory. But they screwed up in the stealing process."

"How so?"

"The original child was a male and as you can see this one ain't male, so they scrapped the idea. But the way I figure it the change should still be possible."

"You still have the equipment?" Carl asked surprised, typically when a project was scrapped it was all destroyed. The man jabbed his finger at a machine in the corner.

"I can have it working in a jiffy just need a mind to put in it."

"Who was the original child? The file only told me that she was in storage."

"Some kid by the name of Simon Tam."

"Well isn't that interesting."

Opening my eyes I saw the room they had dumped me in. The floor was white and looked sterile as was everything else; the sight gave me no comfort. I attempted to stand up only to find I was strapped to the table I was laying on, similar to the ones I had used at the hospital for psychiatric patients. Looking for some form of salvation I noticed a similar table not ten feet away. There was a blanket covering it and whatever was on the table but given the shape I could guess. The blanket was moving so it was it alive.

"Ah, good you're awake, just in time."

Twisting my head I could see the man that had spoken. He was your average geek hair parted at the side and slicked down and thick horn-rimmed glasses but what scared him was the bright blue gloves the man, Carl according to his nametag, was wearing.

"Just in time? For what, may I ask?" If I wanted out alive I was going to do the opposite of everything Mal would do in this situation. And the first thing was to remain polite.

"Well Simon," I mentally gagged at the sound of the leer he put in my name. "We've had a hard time thinking of what to do with you. A man like yourself is hard to find, someone who will give up everything for their sister. We figured that you wouldn't tell us anything to help find your sister so we had to think of something else. And you will have most likely left your sister in the hands of someone you know won't hand her over or let us near her, so an exchange or ransom is out of the question."

"Good guess." I said wincing as the ropes cut in to my arm.

"Thank you we thought so too. So you can see our dilemma. But then we found out that you Simon were supposed to be an experiment, but then there was an accident and then your sister was born and the information was lost. Well the accidents been fixed and your sister isn't here so let's begin." I didn't like the look on Carl's face and my eyes moved with him as he moved to the exam table with the cloth on it.

"The experiment was to see if the mind could be moved, transported from one body to the next. The machine will drill a hole in your head and in to your brain. There it will copy every brain wave your mind ever sent out and send it to this one. It will be like down loading a file on to a computer only much more painful." Carl noticing the look I was giving the cloth smiled. "This is your knew body, but you can see it when you're in it." Carl raised his hand and signaled that he was ready for the experiment to start. I heard the machine drill whirring behind me and a felt a blinding pain in the back of my head. Then it was like someone was slowly flicking off the lights in my head before leaving entirely and then even my voice was gone. And everything was black, yet not black. There was just nothing there and nothing to show there ever had been anything there, just an absence.

And then someone new came in and hit all the lights at once. Blinding light, deafening noise and burning pain greeted me with open arms. My chest felt heavy, my breathing labored and my muscles screaming in pain as if I'd run a marathon. Twice. Then a new blackness opened its arms to me in the form of sleep, and enveloped me.

"Did it work?" Carl asked eyes focused on the two prone figures on the beds trying to guess which held water and which held nothing. The man at the controls smiled.

"Yep. It's alive! ALLLIIIVVEEE!"

"What are you doing?" Carl asked worrying about the man's sanity.

"Sorry. Bad joke." The man said blushing.

"Riiiiight, well when he-sh- it wakes up tell me."

"Sure," Watching as Carl left he turned to look at the woman laying there. "Well my dear you're finally complete. I promised you a mind and now you have it, you listened to all my problems so now I'm going to get you through this. Lord knows that you're going to need it." He said stroking the woman's hair away from her face. "Good night, my angel." He kissed her forehead, walking to the door he turned off the lights and headed off to pick up some clothes for when she woke up because waking up in a woman's body is one thing waking up in a woman's body in a paper dresses was another.

* * *

Mal jerked awake at the sound of Rivers screams a nightly occurrence since her brothers capture and Mal was really starting to understand why Simon looked tired when everyone else had a good night's rest. Pulling himself from the arms of his warm bed and to see what nightmare was plaguing her tonight, after reading Simon's extensive notes on River he learned that there were several problems with River, that several dreams took turn plaguing River and how to deal with each. Walking down the halls of a not so peace full Serenity he walked into Rivers room to find that she was missing. Walking to the only place he could think to find her. Upon entering Simon's room he found her fast asleep and standing in the corner was Kaylee.

"Thanks Meimei." At the sound of the endearment River sleeping form let out a small sob.

"We have' to get him back Captain." Kaylee said her tired eyes trained on River. "We can't take care of her like this and she can't handle not having him around even with Jayne giving her extra attention." Mal laughed at the fact that not only had he not seen it coming but that the clueless Doc had.

"Is that what he meant?" Kaylee smiled.

"Yep, and I know what he said to you in the letter."

"Well?"

"Well what?" Kaylee asked looking at Mal with a confused look.

"What does it say?" Mal asked slightly annoyed at the way Kaylee was playing dumb.

"Not my place to say, Captain. Simon will tell you when we get him back."

"Kaylee…"

"River lost his mind." Mal looked at Kaylee as if she had lost her mind.

"What?"

"River told me that she can feel a person's mind even if she too far away to read their mind. She said she lost her connection but that she felt a new one like his mind just moved to a new residing place. It's had her busy all day trying to figure it out." Mal raised an eyebrow at the news. Noticing that Kaylee was yawning big enough to make a camel jealous, Mal smiled.

"Well we should get back to bed. Or the ship is going to fall right out of the sky."

"Right Capt'm." Kaylee said practically sleep walking back to her bunk. And judging by the resounding 'Bonk' and wail there was no need for the practically. Mal glanced at Rivers sleeping form and sighing trudged back to his bunk.

* * *

Alright either someone clocked me over the head with a hammer or they set my brain on fire. Squinting my eyes against the light and whatever else was trying to make entry through my visionary organs. My chest felt heavier than normal and my arms and legs felt fine but different like they had been cut off and then reattached. Daring to open my eyes I found the pain had lessened enough for me to look around the room. White and as sterile just like the last one. I shivered. And remembering what the scientist said I looked down at my body and froze. I was…Female? Well that tops my most weird moment by a long shot. My skin was still the same lily white, my hair was still the same black but now stretched down to my waist, my height was now around 5'9, my face was more round and softer featured. I was what most men would call a knockout. I frowned. This was going to make finding River harder, because now I also had to convince them it was me.

"Well how do you feel?" I jumped, well as one who is strapped to an examining table can, and turned my head to see the person who had spoken. The man was around 6'4 and built like a tank. He had red hair; his eyes were brown with flecks of gold in them and he was dressed from head to toe in black.

"What?" I asked brilliantly, yep nice to see I'm putting that fancy education to good use.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Hungry? Tired?" He asked as if I was a child that didn't understand a math problem everyone else had gotten.

"D. all of the above." I say rolling my eyes.

"Well, if you feel well enough to be sarcastic then you're fine." He said chuckling. "You know you're just as I thought you would be." He said eyeing me like an artist would his best work.

"W-what do you mean? Where am I? And who are you?"

"My name is Sam and I'm your big brother."

* * *

"Gorramit, River! That's not safe!" River had for the past three hours had been reenacting the day that she and Simon had first entered Serenity. And had just gotten to the part where he jumps off the cat walk and is pointing a gun at thin air, a loaded gun, acting as if she was fighting to keep hold of it. The crew was watching in fascination from behind things that, should bullets fly would hopefully stop them. Mal being the fearless and most likely brain damaged leader that he was; was the one attempting to remove the gun from River's hands.

"River give me the gun." Mal said finally yanking the gun from the moonbrains hands. "You could have killed someone, namely yourself. What were you thinking?!" River stood there for a second before starting to cry. And Mal wished for the millionth time that he would learn to keep his mouth shut and that Simon was here to calm River down and then apologize profusely and chew him out at the same time for upsetting her. Only Simon and the Shepherd had the ability to apologize and lecture you at the same time. Turning to River he only had a moment to process what she was doing before he had a new corset made out of 100% River.

"Ouf." Mal grunted as River tightened her hold still sobbing.

"Thought if she retraced her steps she'd find what she lost." Mal sighed. River had been doing things to remind herself of Simon. When asked she had said that she would forget and when he came back she would not remember him. Those things included doing imaginary surgeries one almost not so imaginary, the Shepherd now locks his door at night, her excuse was she was looking for his faith, wearing Simons clothes, she had at one time tried to walk around shirtless, nagging Mal about medical supplies and sleeping in Simons room. All in all Mal was starting to miss the real Simon.

* * *

"You're my Brother?" Okay his eyes don't have that crazy look, he looks well dressed, he isn't shaking and he doesn't smell like alcohol.

"Yep."

"And we are related how exactly?" I ask arching an eyebrow.

"Well my mother was the head scientist of this project. And when she died she arranged for me to be guardian and made me promise to finish my sister. You see she lost my sister during child birth and so then when she made you, you took the place of my sister in her eyes. And I intend to keep my promise to keep you safe." He said beaming at me.

"So what's my name?"

"What's your what?" He asked confused.

"My name, did your mother give me a name?"

"Why do you care?" He asked defensively.

"Because my name is Simon and that's a boy's name." I said "And I'm curious as to what Mother named me." I don't know why I just referred to her as my mother, but something about it felt right. And the strange man in front of me made me feel safe as if I had known him all my life.

"Simone." He muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

"What?"

"Your name is Simone. Mother didn't want to change it too much from your original name so she was pleased to find out that your name was Simon."

"Simone, huh? It's a beautiful name."

"It means 'one who hears' rather fitting seeing as you heard your sisters cries for help."

"How did you?"

"Know? Simple the only person she talked about was you. I know everything about you from the videos of River in her cell. And no I had nothing to do with your sister's experiment. As a matter of fact the only way I knew about it was because you broke her out, and since you're the subject of my Mothers experiment they told me what you did. I'm impressed that you gave up everything for her."

"I had nothing without her, and I was nothing without her. She is my world, my reason for getting out of bed every morning to be someone I'm not."

"I know how you feel."

"Really?"

"It's exactly how I feel about you." I laugh I can't help it he just makes me feel at ease and I can talk without stuttering.

"You don't know me." I gasp out still giggling. My voice is higher and sounds like warm honey.

"I know you run your hand through your hair when you're frustrated, that you sing River to sleep after a nightmare, you graduated at 16 from the best medical school and that you have never lost a patient that didn't want to die, and that you have a taste for men." At the last comment I blushed. "Course now it might be easier to get a date and not get teased for it."

"That is none of your business!" I snap at his teasing, my mouth contorted in a sneer.

"On the contrary it is my business as to who dates my sister. You deserve better than some outer planet trash." I rolled my eyes at him. He smirked in return.

"So would you like your clothes now?"

"What?" I looked down and saw that my new body was only covered in a paper dress like my patients used to wear. I screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Still own nothing. Sigh.

_Last Chapter:_ "_What?" I looked down and saw that my new body was only covered in a paper dress like my patients used to wear. I screamed_.

"Five minutes peace and quiet, is that too much to ask?" Mal said groaning. It had been a week since Simon had left and things had gone from bad to worse. River had now taken to hiding where no one could find her and hiding things that had even a tiny bit to do with Simon. Anything from his shirts to something he might have grazed with his arm had been seen as suitable victims.

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH! River, give me back that key!" Wash yelled chasing River through the kitchen ending up with her hiding on top of the cabinet and Wash cursing his genes for making him short.

"Apparently so," Mal muttered standing up, his joints creaking ominously. "What she got now?"

"Betty, Frank, and the key to the infirmary, she won't give it back and I need a band aid. She is saying something about his soul getting out, Mal would you please get her to give it back." At the sound of that River snarled much like a reaver would and clutched the key tighter.

"Why me?" Mal asked, eyeing the feral girl.

"Because you're just about as crazy as she is, sir."

"Yes, thank you, Zoe."

"Glad to be of help, sir." Zoe said, a rare smile gracing her lips. Slowly Mal approached River as one would approach a rabid dog.

"River, give me the key," Mal said inching forward.

"No, bits of Simon escape when you open the healing room. No more Simon escape won't let it."

"River, Simon will be meeting us on Yameni and any escaped bits of Simon will come back, but he wants us to use the infirmary while he's away." River reluctantly handed him the key.

"I'll go grab you a band-aid; I need to check on supplies anyway." Walking in to the infirmary, Mal glanced around. He had been in the infirmary plenty of times but never really looked for signs that someone spent time there. Now he could see the small changes Simon had made. He had moved the supplies to more accessible places, labeled the draws (he had a feeling those were for Jayne) and scrubbed everything to within an inch of its life. Looking at the place where Simon poured for hours over notes about River, he noticed a drawer that had a lock on it.

"Well what have we here?" Mal leaned down to examine the lock; it was a simple lock that could easily be picked. Reaching in to his pocket, he pulled out a lock pick, well it was his ship and if he wanted to snoop he would.

*click*

Opening the drawer, he examined the contents: pencils of every size and color, pads of paper, notes, floor plans, a picture, a few drawings and much to Mal's surprise, twin daggers and a gun. He picked up the weapons and examined them. They were in good condition and well cared for, but what disturbed Mal was the daggers had been used while the gun showed no sign of use.

"Well, looks like I don't know the Doc as well as I should." Mal made a mental note to find out more about the young man. Placing the weapons back in place so no one would see that they had been moved, he picked up the picture. It showed two kids. In one the girl was about five and the boy was about fifteen. The girl was River he could tell that much. River was smiling and hugging the boy in the photo. He was smiling and had a free look about him like the world could explode and he would not care. Mal recognized the smile; it was one that Simon wore in a more deadened version. It was hard to believe they were the same person, but the more he looked at the photo now the more it matched. In the back ground was a tree.

"That must be the king. River wasn't kidding when she said he was the king." The king certainly lived up to his name. It was the biggest tree Mal had ever seen. Setting down the photo, he moved to pick up the drawings. Some were of Serenity, the crew, planets that they had stopped at, but to his shock most of them were of him. Drawings of him and Kaylee arguing about engine parts, him and Jayne when he had locked Jayne out for selling out Simon and River to the Feds, him sitting at the helm watching the stars. One drawing caught his eye, it was of the whole crew at dinner, laughing and talking, but what he noticed was that Simon wasn't looking at River like the real Simon does, but looking at him. The look in the other Simon,s eyes were one Mal could not place, a very distressing fact as Mal prided himself on being able to read people.

"Water is not as clear as it looks." Mal jumped at the sound of Rivers voice behind him.

"River, aren't you supposed to be playing with Kaylee?" River ignored his comment.

"River knows what the note means." River said with that know-it-all smile Simon had told him about.

"And I suppose you, like Kaylee,aren't going to tell me?" River smiled and danced away.

"Old dogs are the best learners."

Mal arched an eyebrow at that comment.

I'm going to die in here. First were the lessons on how to be a lady from Sam, and let me tell you, he does not look good in a dress, and then came the poking, prodding, and the tests. And finally there came the Carl. He more than happily told me that I was to be 'put down' like one would a sick dog. What he forgot was that they had given me things to do to make sure I was all there and there might have been a thing of super glue, feathers, rope, a bucket and his office chair. Hee hee. He never knew what hit him. Oh wait, that was Sam when he found out. He nearly put Carl through the wall. He's promised me that he has a plan and if he is anything like Mal…I'm doomed. He is a nice man and has taught me a lot about being female, he told me that it's just because he had time to prepare and we left it at that, but he's taught me a lot like walking, talking and acting like a girl. He told me less needed to be changed than he expected and I decided to take that as a compliment. He warned me that I may have talents that I didn't before like shooting a gun. He said it would be like River's gift for fighting in order to learn it I had to see it, so I spent a good amount of time watching picture shows from the earth-that-was with some guy in it called Jackie Chan.

*Slam*

I jumped at the sound of my 'cell,' or as Carl calls it 'the hotel room you can never leave in a hotel that has safety precautions for the outside people,' door swung shut with such force my teeth rattled. Sam stalked over to the counter next to my bed, picked up a bag, and began throwing things in.

"Sam, what's going on? Is something wrong?" I had never seen him act like this, granted I had only known him for a week and a half. Sam whirled on me and wrapped me in a bear hug. "This is for just in case." He murmured in my ear. Okay, commence with 'Freak out mode'.

Sam released me and apparently finished stuffing the bag, slung it over one shoulder and then proceeded to throw me over the other.

"Sam, what the (Hell) is going on?!" I screeched as he took off out of my room and down the hall at a dead run. Just then the alarms went off and I could hear shouting coming from the hall right behind us and a bullet nearly clipped my ear.

"Simone," He huffed as he ran. "Remember how I was trying to get your death sentence changed?"

"Yes." I did not like where this was going. Racing onto an elevator we rested and he put me down for a second while we listened to the horrible muzak.

"Well I did everything I could, it didn't work." As the doors opened he swung me up again and we were off.

"I sorta guessed by the fact that we're…err… you're running at top speed down a hall with guards chasing us!" I said as he ran down a corridor only to stop and go the other way, due to more guards.

"They bumped up your execution date! So we're going with plan B. I made Mother a promise to keep you safe and I intend to keep it." He ran into what looked like a loading dock, the guards were so close behind us that I could see the whites of their eyes (points for those who got that joke). Sam slammed his hand on the emergency seal button. The door closed just in time to stop the gun blasts. Dropping me on a chair of one of the shuttles, he began typing in commands and swearing violently. Suddenly he stopped and looked at me.

"The launch key is out in the hanger. You remember how to fly like I taught you?"

"Of course," I looked up at him as he bent down to strap me in. Looking around, I noticed that there was only one chair and that the shuttle wasn't even a fourth of the ones on Serenity. You only had enough room to lie down in and that was it. I jumped at the sound of gunfire from the hanger door.

"It's too soon." Sam muttered as he walked toward the door.

"Sam, where are you going?" I asked as he moved to get off the shuttle.

"The launch key is in the hanger. Sorry, Sweetheart, but you're going on this trip alone. Anyway, they're too close for a clean get away unless I stall them." I struggled against my bonds as he left, shutting and locking the door. I watched helpless as he punched in the code to start the launch. The shuttle shook as it fired up, Sam had put it on hard burn. I turned to look as the shuttle took off just as the hanger door crashed open. The last glimpse of Sam was him pulling out his guns, a war cry tearing from his lips to rain the startled guards with a hail of bullets and then…space, a sweet nothingness that sings to the souls of many like a siren. And a single tear escaped my eye for the soul that had been my brother that had answered her call.

It was two days till they reached Yemani and they had all started taking turns keeping River busy. It was currently Jayne's turn and Mal had not even asked what they were going to do. At the sound of someone coming in, Mal turned in time to see Wash stumble in clutching his hands over his eyes.

"MY EYES! MY EYES! I'M BLIND! OOH I'M BLIIIIIIIIIIIIND!" Wash yelled flopping down in the chair opposite Mal. Jayne and River slunk in after him, Jayne yelling right back at Wash.

"Well if you would learn to knock that wouldn't have happened!" River just rolled her eyes at them and plunked herself right down next to Mal and began fiddling with her skirt.

"If you would keep it in your bunk like normal people I wouldn't have to!" Wash said still refusing to look at either of them, instead he looked at Mal. "You won't believe what I caught them doing!"

"And I don't want to know either, now go pilot my ship and you two," He said gesturing at Jayne and River. "Stop mentally scarring my pilot."

River rolled her eyes.

"We were just-" Jayne started but Mal stopped him.

"I do not want to know. Ever. Got it?"

"Well that's the last time I work as a mannequin for your stupid dress alterations." Jayne muttered.

"It's not my fault you drew the shortest straw. Anyway, the next job requires someone to dress as a woman and since you're the biggest, if you can fit into the dress so can anyone else on the ship." Zoe said walking in to get a glass of water. Jayne just groaned and slammed his face into the table. And with that Mal went to look for a quieter place to relax, muttering something about an early grave.


	3. Chapter 3

Simon's turn chapter 3

(I own nothing)

(Important! Flower meanings: Orange lily: hatred, Disdain, wealth and pride. Goldenrod: treasure. White Heather: protection from danger. Orange Mock: Deceit. Asparagus Blossoms: Ill will. Sunflower: Devotion. Not all info may be right.)

_Last Chapter: And with that Mal went to look for a quieter place to relax, muttering something about an early grave._

Chapter 3

I was standing in a meadow, the sky was so blue it was almost white and the fields were made of sunflowers. Behind me was a field of orange lilies, their petals looked like sharp knives reaching to pierce my flesh. But what was in the field in front of me made me gasp. There in the middle of the field was River. She was sitting in a cloud of white heather with two rings of flowers around it. The first was a ring of seven huge goldenrods, but there was a spot where an eighth had stood. In its place was an asparagus bloom its petals reaching to in grab her. The next ring was made of orange mock and more asparagus blossoms, all their vines and petals blocked by the seven goldenrods, except for where the eighth was missing. The petals of the bloom wrap around her dragging her from the center of the ring and just before it pulls her out she looks at me, her face dead.

"Two by two no more." She says, her voice hollow. I run to grab her, stop her from being pulled from the circle, to ask her what she meant, anything to keep her in that circle! And just as her foot left the circle edge… I fell out of the shuttle bed and cracked my head in the floor. Swearing I peeled myself from the floor. Two days of sleeping for a year and a half on a ship going at a thousand and more miles an hour and I sleep like a baby; put me on a landed shuttle and I fall out of bed…twice. Stretching out the kinks, I glanced outside. It had been night when I had landed so the town was quiet, but now it was buzzing with life. The men and women of the town going about their day in the hustle and bustle of the market place, blissfully unaware of their observer in the shadows. I could stand and watch them but I had to look for River, and the King was on the other side of town. Walking outside I stretched again letting the sun warm my aching muscles. I grinned as more than a few heads turned as I walked through the streets listening to the catcalls and whistles. I rolled my eyes, I had hated it when boys did it to River but I hated it even more when it was aimed at me. My clothes looked like the ones I usually wore but more form-fitting, I had traded my shoes in for boots and I now wore pants that more resembled leggings than pants. I spotted the King and began to pick up my pace. River, I'm almost there, please be there. Reaching the clearing I smiled. There was the king in all his glory and there next to him was Serenity. Kaylee sat out front in her lawn chair, that old umbrella twirling in her hand and just inside the cargo bay I could see Jayne and Wash loading cargo. Walking up, I smiled at Kaylee and she smiled back.

"Looking for a ship to go some place?"

"Excuse me?" Kaylee stood taking my hand.

"Are you looking for a ship to go some place cause if you are, you came to the right place in the nick of time. We only have room for one more passenger. You won't find no better ship."

"Or a better mechanic." I said still looking at my home that could not remember me. Kaylee gasped.

"How did you know I was her mechanic?" She asked.

"The way you talk about her, like a mother whose child is a like a young Galileo."

"Who?"

"He's a famous paint, designer…etc."

"Wow, you're pretty smart to know all that. What do you do?"

"I'm…a doctor." Kaylee's eyebrows went in search of her hair line.

"We just lost our doc."

"What happened?" I asked waiting to see if she says anything about me or River. Kaylee's eye went wide as she tried to think of a lie.

"W-well, he left to go to a-a planet to, uh, start a hospital!" She said stuttering through every other word. Mental note: give Kaylee tips on how to be a better liar.

"Hm, interesting, well, how much for the fare?"

"Well, depends how far you're going. Where you headed?"

"Home."

"Really? And where is that?"

"Closer than you think. I'm going to pay you half in advance and the rest when we get there."

"But where are you going?"

"You'll see." I said, smiling at the look of confusion on Kaylee's face. "May I speak to the Captain?"

Kaylee shook her head.

"The Capt'n is busy loading cargo and getting supplies at the moment. But he's the one over there with the other passenger." I followed to where Kaylee's finger was pointing. There was Mal in his brown coat and too tight pants, but the person standing next to him made my blood run cold. It was a bounty hunter. And judging by the look on Mal's face, he had no clue.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

(I own nothing)

"Something wrong?" I jumped as I felt Kaylee rest her hand on my arm.

"N-no, nothing at all. I'll be back here at sunset." Kaylee nodded as I handed her some cash.

"That should cover half the fee." I said turning and walking off toward my ship, and I could feel Kaylee's eyes watching me as I went. I had some things to attend too.

"Who was that?" Jayne asked watching as Kaylee walked back up on to the ship.

"Our newest passenger" Kaylee beamed. "She's kind of weird though, acted as if she knew something funny that I didn't have a clue about."

"Well she gives me the creeps and what about River she could be a bounty hunter! And the Doc's not around to help if someone gets shot!"

"I know, I know!" Kaylee said staring at where the woman had stood. "But while she's weird she gives me the feeling that I know her from somewhere. But I've never seen her before in my life."

"JAYNE!" Mal yelled from the mule. "If you have time to chat you have time to help me with this cargo!" Jayne rolled his eyes.

"I SAW THAT!"

"That man is a slave driver with eyes in the back of his damn head!" Jayne muttered.

"AND I HEARD THAT TOO!"

"Shit, shit, shit." Was the mantra going through my head as I went about my day. I went to pick up supplies, sold my shuttle, packed my bags and loaded them on to Serenity. Leaning against the King I watched as River climbed unaware that I was there to catch her, waiting for Mal to call her down. I heard the snap of a tree branch and looked up there was River hanging by her skirt. OH GOD. I heard River scream as her skirt tore and she fell, and everything went in to slow motion. I ran toward where she was falling and reaching out my arms and I felt the familiar weight fill them. I fell over backwards not having the strength I used too, and landed on something soft. What the heck did I land on? I felt it move.

"I appreciate the fact that you caught my cousin. But would you please get off of me?" I froze I knew that voice all too well.


	5. Chapter 5

Simon's turn Ch 5

(I own nothing)

I got up, still carrying River and looked at my landing pad better known a Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Oh shit. He stood and I reluctantly handed over Rivers limb form, the fall having rendered her unconscious.

"Thank you for catching her. My name's Captain Malcolm Reynolds." He held out his hand, I ignored it.

"You should be more careful! If she had hit the ground she could have died!" I lectured checking to see if River was okay.

"I'll be sure to be more careful in the future." He said retracting his hand.

"You sure as hell had better be!" I muttered checking her pulse.

"I don't much care for people telling me what to do, miss? I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't offer it."

"Captain!" We turned and saw Kaylee running toward them. Reaching them she stopped to catch her breath.

"Is *Huff* she okay?" Kaylee wheezed.

"She's fine." I said turning my gaze back to River. So close and yet so far.

"Oh sorry!" Kaylee turned to me. "This is the Captain, Captain this is…sorry I forgot to ask your name."

"She seems not to like it very much cause she won't tell anyone what it is." Mal said smirking at me.

"My Simone. Simone Mat." Kaylee smiled. Mal stared at me.

"You'll tell her your name and not me?" He asked folding his arms across his chest.

"Well she cute and polite and you're well you."

"Oh and you know so much about me?"

"I know more than you think." I smiled at the look of confusion on his face.

"You ready to go?" I nodded.

"Wait what?" Mal stopped and looked Kaylee.

"She's one of the passengers." Kaylee said. I smiled at the look of surprise on the Captain's face.

"Well I would like to check her out to make sure there is no lasting damage." I said gesturing at the unconscious form of my sister.

Walking on to Serenity I felt at peace, which end as abruptly as it had started because there on the cat walk was the bounty hunter. Not now Tam you're so close, you just have to get him to slip up and then Mal will throw him of the ship. But how to get him to slip and how the hell do I convince them it's me?

"Well are you coming?" I turned to look at the Captain. He was standing in the door way and looked quite impatient. I nodded as I heard the doors to my home slam shut.


	6. Chapter 6

Simon's turn Ch 6

(I own nothing)

"Well, what's the verdict? Is she going to be okay?" Mal asked staring at the woman in front of him. She was hiding something and Mal didn't like it. The woman stood and turned to look at him. She was a few inches shorter than him and her eyes were the color of a stormy sea. Her long black hair was straight, only curling at the ends where it hit her waist. She had pulled it up into a messy bun while she worked. She was curvy, but not as much as Inara, and her skin was as white as snow, hair black as ebony, lips red as a-

'Okay' Mal thought 'no more watching earth movies with Kaylee and River.' He watched as her hands cradled River as she checked for any signs that she had been injured. Her hands caught Mal's attention; they were small and graceful as she worked.

'I wonder if all doctors have hands like that? She works with a grace that even Inara doesn't have, her eyes a softness that Kaylee's can't even compare to, her mouth- Oh shit! I am NOT checking out a core bred witch who hates me.'

Mal turned and without thinking slammed his head against the wall. Mal heard a startled yelp, and turned to look at Simone to find her staring at him like he had lost his mind.

"Something wrong or have you taken up killing flies with your head?" She asked. Mal was about to retort when River shot out of the infirmary bed screeching, "SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMOOOOON!!!!!", and launched herself at the very startled medic.

I stood there with my sister's arms around me; I could hear her muttering into my chest.

"I knew you would come back! Two by two will not be broken! The last sunflower in the ring is planted once more!"

"Riv-Clara that's not Simon." I looked at him. Clara? His idea of a code name is to call her by her middle name? Even I could do better than that.

"No! Simon promised he'd catch me and he did! Two by two, like the ark!" She said tightening her arms around me. And then she looked up at me and my heart broke. Because when she saw me her eyes dimmed and she pulled away.

"You're not Simon." She said staring at me.

"No, Clara, she's the one who caught you when you fell out of the tree, not Simon." Mal said reaching out to comfort her in a way I couldn't. My Mei mei was the only one who I hoped would recognize me.

"Simon didn't catch me? But I felt his mind."

"I'm sorry, Clara, but Simon didn't catch you."

River's eyes turned cold. "And neither did you. You promised you catch the River, but you let her fall."

And with that, she swept out of the room. My eyes turned to Mal. He had promised to catch her? My heart warmed at the fact that my Mei mei had a family to take care of her. Now how to convince that family that I was me, I could see it now- "Hey, everyone, it's me Simon, only you don't recognize me because I had my mind uprooted and placed in a girl's body. And that other passenger is a bounty hunter bent on taking River back to the Academy so they can hack at her brain some more."- Yeah, that would go over well. I sighed.

"Something wrong?" I jumped having forgotten that Mal was in the room.

"No, nothing important." He stared at me and I could tell he was not buying it. Have to distract him, so I said the first thing that came out of my mouth.

"She's a really cute girl."

"I didn't know you swung that way and I'm not sure why you're telling me." I glared at him.

"I don't swing that way, Malcolm Reynolds." I walk toward him. I was about to start the lecture on rude and crude behavior, one he had heard me mutter under my breath many a time, when Zoe made an appearance at the door.

"Captain, dinner is ready and Kaylee worked hard to make the protein taste good so no gagging." Zoe stopped and stared at me.

"Captain, who is this?" She asked never taking her eyes off me for a second.

"This is Dr. Simone Mats. She's one of the passengers." Mal said watching Zoe stare at me. Had she noticed all the clues I had been dropping not so subtly? I hope so because this was getting hard.

"Well," Zoe finally tore her eyes away from me. "We need to be getting to dinner."

"I don't believe I caught your name?"

"Zoe."

We walked into the dining room and I snarled when I saw that the bounty hunter had picked the seat closest to River. Using my eyes, I marked every place that he could be concealing a weapon. But stopped when Kaylee informed him that that was her seat and then proceeded to seat him next to Jayne. Still closer to River than I would like but better.

"You sit over there." Zoe pointed at my chair except it had been moved next to the Captain's. Moving to sit in my seat I heard River sniffle and I wanted to run over there and hold her or start crying myself. The dinner went fine for the most part. Jayne made his usual comments, Wash would retort, Zoe rolled her eyes, Captain would tell them to knock it off, Kaylee and Inara would glace at each other whenever the over was not looking. But River was not joining in the conversation.

"So you are?" I looked at the person who had spoken, it was the bounty hunter and I did not like the look he was giving me.

"It's rude to ask someone's name before offering yours." I snapped. The way he was looking, no leering, made me want to shoot him. Mal snickered.

"John Gatts." He said with a smile, my trigger finger twitched.

"Simone."

"And your last name is?"

"None of your business." I smiled at him before returning my attention to my protein. Yum.

"I told you mine and you won't tell me yours that's not very fair."

"Life ain't fair, anyone who says otherwise wants something."

"You're a bounty hunter." I froze and turned to look at Jayne who was glaring at me. "I've seen the way you stare at Clara. If you think you're going to take her away, you have another think coming."

*Click*

I turned to look at John and the gun he had pointing at Inara's head. He apparently thought Jayne had been talking to him and not me.

"I don't know how you found out I was a bounty hunter. But if you make one move towards me I blow her brains out."


	7. Chapter 7

Simon's Turn Ch 7

(I own nothing EXCEPT the lullaby! The lullaby is mine. I wrote it! So no borrowing without asking!

Mal stared at the man holding one of his crew hostage, his blood boiling. Jayne just had to open his mouth.

"You." The bounty hunter motioned toward River. "Get up. Everyone to the loading dock single file. If any of you try any funny business, I shoot her." The man had the look of a man who had lost it.

Walking down the corridor behind Kaylee I felt a tug on my coat.

"Listen to me. I can get us out of this, but you need to trust me." I knew that voice. It belonged to Simone, she sounded scared and determined.

"Fine." I said noncommittally but it was apparently good enough for her because she went on.

"When I give you the signal, cause a distraction, scream or drop your pants, I don't care what you do. I just need a few seconds." I nodded my consent.

Then we reached the loading dock and he had us line up single file against the wall. I felt a tug on my sleeve, the signal. I doubled over clutching at my stomach, wheezing.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" John said pointing the gun in my direction. The startled scream I heard next told me that Simone had made her move.

It was not the world's best plan, but it worked. He turned his attention to Mal and I lunged knocking both the gun and Inara away from him and causing him to lose his balance. I managed to stay on my feet and silently thanked Mother for making me take dance classes with River. He flipped back onto his feet reaching for the gun as I kicked it away. He rounded on me.

"You little Bitch." He threw a punch and I dodged, sending a kick straight to the family jewels. He was down for the count before I even put my foot back on the ground. Take that, you worthless little maggot. It was a good try, but my Mei mei is staying here.

"It can't be." I turned at the sound of River's voice. "It's not true! It can't be!" She was staring at me like the world had told her something she couldn't believe. Like her brother turning into a girl. She turned and buried her face in Mal's coat. I desperately wanted to hold her and convince her it was me. I began to sing a lullaby I had written for her when she was a baby.

"_Where do you run, my little River?_

_Where do you run, my dear?_

_The sun is setting _

_The road is dark_

_The moon sings you to sleep_

_My little running River_

_The stars come out to play at night_

_The world sleeps soundly all around_

_The sun is setting _

_The road is dark_

_The moon sings you to sleep_

_My little running River_

_So please come home_

_I ask you, love_

_My precious little running River_

_Come running home"_

I finished and looked at River who in turn was staring at me. She uncurled herself from Mal and began to walk toward me. Reaching me, she stopped about a foot away.

"It is you, isn't it?" Her eyes were wide and tears threatened to appear in a sequel. I nodded. She raised her hand and rested it on my cheek. "What happened? What did they do to you? Simon." She said wrapping me in a hug as if to see if I was really there and this was not a dream.

'Thunk'

We turned to see Jayne passed out on the floor with the rest of the crew's jaws.


	8. Chapter 8

Simon's Ch 8

(I own nothing)

After Mal had helped drag Jayne back to the infirmary so Simon could wake him up, they sat down and listened to the reason as to why they were looking at a girl and not a boy. Mal listened to the end, only interrupting to ask questions. By the end Kaylee looked like she was going to cry, Zoe had pressed her lips into a tight line, Inara looked horrified, Wash was looking at Simon with a look of pity, Sheppard had his head bowed no doubt muttering a prayer, Jayne was sitting there being… well, Jayne. Mal stood and looked around.

"Where's River?" Simon pointed to his lap. River had decided that sitting on Simon was one way to make sure he would not leave. Her head rested on Simon's chest. Mal smiled.

"You comfy, River?"

"Simon's softer now, very comfy." Mal burst out laughing, Simon glared as the rest of the crew joined in.

"I bet he is. River really missed you." Mal said, ruffling River's hair.

"Mal missed you too, was losing his mind taking care of River." River mumbled burrowing deeper in to her sister. Mal nodded.

"Well, that has to have been the creepiest story I've ever heard!" Wash said shuddering. "Though I wish I could have been there when you glued Carl to his seat, poured glue over him and then covered him in feathers." Wash snickered at the thought.

I sat there staring at the crew that had become my family and the fact that finally I was home. I listened as they told me what had happened while I was gone. By the end of their tale it was time for bed and I stretched; picking up River, I nodded good night to the crew and headed to River's room where I was surprised to find quite a few of my things: Clothes, books, and even my glasses. She really must have missed me. I looked at her sleeping form and noticed that one of my shirts had become a teddy bear of sorts. Laughing quietly I picked up my stuff and moved it back to my room, but I left the shirt. She needed it more than I did and it meant one less thing to alter to fit my new figure. After placing everything back where it belongs, I went to the infirmary to get River's medication. Walking into the part of the ship that was more my room than even my bunk, I breathed in deep as the smell of clean entered my nose and made me feel calm.

I was filling the syringe when I heard footsteps behind me. I spun around, swinging my fist out to hit whoever was there. I felt a much larger hand wrap around my wrist, stopping the blow. The smell of gunpowder, earth and cinnamon filled my senses. Mal.

"What do you want?" My tone was a little harsh as I went back to work.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"What happened to the bounty hunter?"

"The airlock."

"So that's not just an empty threat."

"Nope, I don't make empty threats."

I don't know why but the weight of what had happened, what was happening finally caught up to me and I felt like I was going to cry. I froze as a pair of arms wrapped around my middle pulling me to a warm body. The arms turned me around and I buried my face in his chest.

"It'll be okay." I felt Mal's hold me tighter like I might disappear if he let go. And for the first time since Sam had died, I cried. I cried for my sister, the crew, what that awful place did to me and Sam, I cried for Sam, I cried for the Mother, I cried for my parents that abandoned us, but mostly I just cried and Mal stood there and held me, stroking my hair and holding me like I might break if he let go. And I had a feeling that if he had I would have. But he held me and I felt safe.


	9. Chapter 9

Simon's turn Ch 9

(I own nothing!)

The ship gave a huge lurch and I sat up in bed. How did I get here? I remember crying and then nothing. I turned to look around my room. Sitting on the bedside table was a note. Picking it up, I opened it and began to read.

_Dear Simone,_

_You cried yourself to sleep so I carried you to your bunk. Don't worry, I gave River her medication. We'll most likely have landed by the time you get up, if not, hold on to something . P.S eat something, I've lifted feed bags that weight more than you. _

_Your Captain, Mal._

I smiled, sliding out of bed. I changed clothes and went to grab breakfast. Walking, well limping, into the dining room I saw everyone eating breakfast.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." I rolled my eyes at the Captain's joke. I limped to the counter, filled my plate and then began the limp to my seat. Wash noticed my limp and decided to comment.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"I have a leach called River that refuses to remove itself from my leg!" I said looking down at my sister who upon my leaving my bunk had wrapped herself around one of my legs and refused to let go. She looked up at me smiling and I couldn't find it in me to be ticked off after the crew had told me what had happened to her when I was forced to leave.

I sat down and began to eat, every so often handing a pancake covered in protein down to River who still refused to relinquish hold of my leg. After finishing eating, I stood and shook violently finally managing to dislodge River. River upon dislodgement began to wail. I sighed for the millionth time; it was going to be a really long day.

I was beginning to hate it when I'm right. After River glued herself to me several times and once literally, the job went south and everyone ended up in the infirmary. Zoe had a nasty bruise from where a bullet hit her vest; Jayne had bruises and a nasty sunburn; Wash had a stubbed toe from dropping the cargo on it; River had a headache from lord knows what and whined about it till I gave her attention which is probably why she complained in the first place; Kaylee had a cut on her forehead from falling out of her bunk to get to the engine; but Mal was the worst of all of them, he had a gash as long as my arm on his chest.

Everyone else had been treated and released from the infirmary before he mentioned the gash.

I was livid, what the hell did he think he was doing?! A gash like that he could have bled to death! I was stitching him up before he decides he can run a ship with that gash. I jerked the needle up to bring the skin together and heard a hiss of pain from my victim.

"You're mad at me." Mal said, it wasn't a question but a fact. I snorted in return, tying the string and cutting it.

"Carful ,Doc, someone might think you care." Mal teased. I stood there, anger coursing through me. I turned away from him and for the second time in less than 24 hours I felt a tear run down my cheek. When they had said that the infirmary was needed I thought Mal was dying and when Mal finally told me that he was hurt all the relief I felt that he wasn't dead was gone. I hated myself for not noticing sooner that he was hurt.

"You're done, you can go." I said trying to hide the shaking in my voice and wiping the tear off my face. I heard him stand and walk over to me.

"You crying?"

"No." I lied; well sort of at least the tears had stopped.

"You're lying." I turned to look at him. "Okay, you're not lying. What's wrong? Everyone's alive and mostly well." He looked confused.

"I'm just having a bad day."

"Because we all survived?"

I smacked him.

"OW! Last time I checked, doctors were supposed to heal their patients not smack them."

"Well, most doctors don't have you for a patient." I said rolling my eyes.

"Ouch, Doc, that hurt more than the punch."

"I didn't punch you, I smacked you. There's a difference" It was his turn to roll his eyes. I ignored it and went back to cleaning the infirmary.

"I'm sure there is. Though I have a question for you."

"Oh?"

"Did you mean what you said in the letter?"


	10. Chapter 10

Simon's Turn Ch 10

(I own nothing!)

"Wha-What?!" My mind was whirring. He read the letter? Of course he read the letter; you dropped it so he would read it.

"Did you mean what you said in the letter?" My face went bright red, well redder than it already was.

"Of course I meant it; otherwise I wouldn't have written it!" I felt hurt, embarrassed, and stupid all at the same time. Why the hell had I written that letter? Simple, because I thought that I would be long gone or dead by the time he read it that's why. I sighed; it was starting to become a habit.

"Well, are you going to throw me off the ship?" He stared at me.

"Now, why would I throw you off the ship?" I stared right back at him confused.

"Why? Well, you obviously don't feel the same! And everything is awkward now that you know."

"Now that I know what?"

"Now that you know I lo-"

"Wait!" I stopped and turned to see Kaylee and River standing, well staggering as Kaylee appeared to be trying to smother my sister, in the doorway. "He doesn't know what the letter says!"

"What?" I was past the land of confusion, had taken a left turn at Albuquerque and was now entering cuckoo town.

"The letter fell in a puddle and blurred the words. He has no clue what it says." River exclaimed still trying to fend off Kaylee.

"RIVER! She was about to tell him!" Kaylee wailed, finally having been dislodged from River.

"You can't get a happy ending by cutting corners. Feelings have to be clear or the magic is lost before midnight." River explained, careful not to let Kaylee become reattached.

"Mal, what the hell is going on?" I turned to look at him.

"Well…"

"Mal." I said my voice stern; he looked at me flashing a sheepish little grin.

"Well, the letter did fall in the puddle, so the lettering was smudged and no one will tell me what it said so I thought I'd ask you." I stared at him. He didn't know. The letter got ruined and now he has no clue what it said. The only things I couldn't figure out was if that was a good thing or not and if I ever wanted him to know what it said.

"Well, why didn't you just say that?"

"It was something you couldn't say to my face if so…"

"So you tried to trick me into telling you."

"If it so important, why didn't you just tell me to my face?"

"Because it's really hard to tell someone that you…very sneaky, Mal, but I'm not telling." I said shoving him out of the infirmary.

(Many hours and pieces of paper later)

"AAAAAARRRHHHHHHH!" Mal groaned. He had been working on the note to see what it said and had come up empty handed.

"Single handedly destroying a forest Mal?" Wash joked.

"No, and don't you have a ship to fly?"

"River's flying at the moment." Wash shrugged.

"Still trying to find out what it says? Though I have to agree with Wash on this one, you're maybe a sheet away from a forest." Book said counting the sheets of paper littering the dining room. Mal ignored the comment.

"I still can't figure it out!"

"He still trying to figure out what that note says?" Jayne asked walking in and skewering an apple on his knife.

"Yep." Mal was beginning to think that his crew needed more to do when Jayne piped up.

"I love you."Mal's head shot up off the table to look at Jayne. Wash and Book sat there slack jawed.

"Uh…"

"Would you two like a moment alone?" Wash asked eyeing Jayne.

"No! That's what the note says. 'I love you'." Jayne said rolling his eyes.

"It fits."

"Wait," Wash looked confused. "How do you know what it says?"

"A girl once gave me a note that said the same thing."

"What happened to her?"

"She turned out to work for the enemy so I shot her." Wash and Book had identical looks of horror.

"I see you haven't seen the wizard about getting a heart yet." Wash snorted when the shock had worn off.

Mal wasn't listening to the impending argument. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts. Simon loved him? And had loved him for some time according to the note.

"But I thought that Mal leaned toward girls. I mean, he flirts with Inara all the time." Jayne grunted.

"Yes, but Simon is no longer male." Book said.

"I'm getting confused." Wash groaned.

"Hey guys." They jumped as Simone waltzed in, her hair fanning out behind her. As she poured herself a cup of tea, Book swept the papers into a pile and into the trash. 'No point in her figuring out we know just yet,' Book thought. 'After all, the Captain is still contemplating.' Book chuckled, well aware of just how right he was.

Mal watched intently as Simone glided about the kitchen. She was very graceful and precise in her movements. And Mal was once again reminded of what this woman was willing to do for those she loved.

"Well?" Mal's head snapped up. Mal groaned. He probably should have been paying attention. Think fast.

I watched as Mal stared at me.

"Hello, not a hard question."

"I'm sorry I was elsewhere what?" I rolled my eyes.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" I said enunciating each word obnoxiously. It was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Yes, please."

I began to make a cup of tea for him when Inara swept in.

" I have job for you."


	11. Chapter 11

(I own nothing)

"So what's the job?" Mal had called the crew in to hear Inara's proposition.

"An old friend of mine mentioned that a friend of his needed some cargo transported to Boros. He's willing to pay twice the normal pay and the cargo is even legal. All you have to do is go to the ball he is throwing tonight and let him know whether you're interested. Mal, are you listening?" Mal was half listening and the other half staring in contemplation at Simone who was making more tea for the crew.

"Go to a shindig tonight and let him know that we're interested." Mal said proving that men can indeed multi task. "Inara, can you stoop to be on my arm again? I already washed it."

"Sorry, but I have a date. Simone mentioned that she has two friends that need dates for tonight at the Ritz and I agreed. Kaylee is going with me so you can't take her."

"Well, it's Wash and my anniversary and River would be recognized in a heartbeat."

"Guess I'm going alone."

"Why not take Simone?" They turned to face Jayne. "I mean she's a girl now and I doubt if anyone can recognize her the way she is now." They then turned to look at the woman in question.

"W-What?! Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Cinderella was a little happier when the Godmother told her she was going to the ball." River muttered into her tea.

"I would work and the Captain wouldn't look like a loser being all by himself." Wash said happily.

"And anyway the poor innocent Captain needs protection from any little girls with wreaths and wine in hand." Book said with a straight face.

"All right I'll go! Sheesh!" Simone said shaking her head causing her hair to dance around her face. As she handed Mal his tea their hands brushed and Mal jumped at the touch. It wasn't that type of zap that they talk about in romance novels, it merely felt odd and Mal wanted to feel it again.

"Well, you can't go like that to the ball." Inara said circling Simone like a hawk with a trapped rabbit. She tugged at Simone's clothes and picked at her hair. "This won't do. Girls help me get her in to the shuttle. Kaylee, River, go open the door and Zoe, be a dear and grab Simone for me."

Like any sane rabbit she was ready to bolt when Zoe strong-armed her and dragged her kicking and cursing to Inara's shuttle.

"I'm certain she'll be okay." And then a blood curdling scream echoed out to them from the shuttle. "I hope."

The boys were playing poker when they heard a different type of scream than the ones they had been hearing for the last couple of hours.

"Where did she go?!"

"I don't know, I only turned my back for a second!"

"Well, find her! Now!"

They watch as a pink blur shot under the table just before Kaylee and Inara went running by. All four men leaned down to look under the table and there in a pink bathrobe was what the girls were looking for.

"Simone, what the hell are you doing?" Mal asked wondering what the green goop on the woman's face was for.

"Hiding, please don't tell them where I'm hiding." The boys sat up quickly as Zoe and River entered.

"Have you seen Simone?" Zoe asked giving them the evil eye. Wash shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his wife loomed over him.

"Wash, you will sleep on the couch for the next month if you don't tell me where she is now." Wash pointed at the table and Zoe smiled.

"Good boy." They watched as Zoe reached under the table, grabbed Simone's legs, and dragged her back to the shuttle.

"Wash, we are no longer friends!" Wash cringed at the screams and turned to look at the male part of the crew.

"Why do I feel like I just threw a lamb into a lion's den?"

"Because you did son, you did." The shepherd said, laying down a Royal Flush.

"I was now tied to the chair, a gag in my mouth and a blindfold over my eyes. I squirmed through the manicure, pedicure and the bath, I screamed through the waxing and the plucking, and cursed through dress fittings and the makeup. I felt the gag removed.

"I'm going to put your lipstick on now. You smear it or bite me, you will regret it, got it?" I nodded and felt something, most likely the lipstick, dragged over my lips. I heard a banging on the door.

"Inara, the Captain needs to be going! Now!"

"Alright, we'll be right there!" My captor, also known as Inara Serra, replied beginning to untie me.

"There might be a problem."

"Oh?" Inara asked untying my legs, they hadn't taken any chances.

"I didn't tell your date you were sadistic." She laughed.

"There, all done. Well girls, six hours of grooming and avoiding getting bitten." she said making a grand gesture. "The fruit of our labor!" And she whisked off the blindfold. I was now staring at who I thought was me in a full length mirror, I still wasn't sure.

"What the hell is taking so long?!" Mal growled. Fashionably late and plain old late were two very different things.

"What if they accidently killed her? I mean, we didn't hear anything after that cut-off scream." Jayne said, ever helpful.

"Don't joke like that, Jayne." Wash snapped.

"That's right, because if she is dead it's your fault for handing the lamb over to the lions." Book said. The boys had been teasing Wash for hours since the incident with the green goop and the table.

"Well, what if she looks beautiful?" Wash said defensively.

"Well, then it's because of the girls' hard work."

"So it's only my fault when things go bad?"

"Yep."

"I'm going to go see what's taking so long." Just as the words left his mouth Zoe, Kaylee, River and Inara walked onto the catwalk. Inara stood at the front and slightly to the left as the other girls blocked the stairs to the shuttle.

"After six hours of grueling work, we are proud to present to you, captain, your date!" And Mal watched as the girls to show an angel. Simone was wearing a corset top dress with a floor length full skirt. It was black and it had silver embroidery on the bodice. Simone had spent the two hours River was picking out her shoes praying and it worked because she picked out a pair of silk slippers instead of the three inch heels. Her eyes had been done to look like a cat's with silver and grey eye shadow, rose petal red lip stick and some of her hair had been pulled up into a bun leaving the rest to spill in soft ringlets down her back. And to finish the look she had a full blooming red rose placed delicately in the bun and a tear drop diamond necklace.

"Mal, close your mouth, you're catching flies. On second thought, leave it open, it'll save us money on fly paper." Mal tore his gaze away long enough to glare at his first mate. Simone walked down to the cargo bay floor, slid on her coat and laid her hand on the Captain's arm.

"Shall we go?" Simone smiled.

"We shall."


	12. Chapter 12

Simon's turn Ch 12

(I own nothing and I don't own the song)

The ball was spectacular. I walked around talking with some of the ambassadors and judges listening to the scuttle butt. I was listening to a very opinionated young doctor who was discussing one of his last surgeries exaggeratedly in an attempt to impress me. The boy had no clue what he was talking about and was pulling this shit straight out of his ass. By the look of him he was a director of a hospital for people who hate how they look so they undergo excruciating surgeries to look different. He was at the part of the story when the body fell off the table and the man's guts fell out. How this is supposed to make a man attractive to a female of the species, other than a Reaver, I have no clue. Try saving her from a crazy mob hell bent on setting fire to her and her sister and then see how far you get. I smiled, oh well, might as well have fun.

"It was your first time?" The boy spluttered.

"W-What?" his eyes reminded me of a bird that was about to get hit by a ship.

"Your first time for the body to roll off the table and most of the organs to fall out of the body, right? I remember my first time, three hours and over 20 feet of small and large intestine later, I thought I would never get it all back in. You did make sure not to twist or squeeze the organs as you put them back in right?" The best part? I wasn't pulling this out of anyone's ass. (Interesting fact: the human body has enough intestines to, when held straight up and down, reach the height of a two story house.)

"Excuse me, but I owe this lady a dance." I felt as Mal wrapped an arm around my waist and steered me away from the cluster of fakes. "You've had your fun torturing young men and Inara will kill you if one of them pukes on the dress. Now help me look for the contact." We found him, found out he wanted nothing to do with us, and I was about to get my coat to leave when I felt a hand on my arm.

"I do believe I still owe the lady a dance." Mal said bowing. I laughed and curtsied in return, letting him lead me onto the dance floor. The dance was a folk one, but just as we got into the rhythm, it stopped.

"Now ladies and gentleman, hold you loved one close for the true love waltz." (Yes, I did pull the name out of my ass thank you very much) I stared at Mal, my face bright red as Mal pulled me close for the waltz.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

Mal stared into her eyes as they twirled across the floor. She really was a remarkable woman. Not many men could be forced into a woman's body and remain sane, then again he didn't know anyone else that had gone through that.

_A life goes by _

_Romantic dreams will stop_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close_

He twirled her and pulled her back to his chest. She fit there perfectly. Looking for the contact hadn't been the only reason Mal had disrupted her fun, but the fact that seeing her talk to the boys made him wish he had his gun, well, he didn't like it. She wasn't his and he knew that but… what if it wasn't that she wasn't his but that he hadn't noticed. He looked down at her where her head was lying on his chest. He could definitely see a future with her.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far we are so close_

Mal thought about (I can't remember his name) he had gotten married and had been happy , well until he found out that his bride was going to betray him and that she had more names than any person has any right to. Mal still didn't know Saffron's real name and as long as he didn't see her again he didn't care. But Simone wasn't like that and…and who the hell was he kidding. Jayne may have been wrong as to what the note said. And here he was thinking about marriage, kids, the look on everyone's face when they found out and Oh, God, they weren't even married yet and she had him whipped. No 'they weren't married' period, no yet involved.

_How could I face the faceless days _

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy end_

_And almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

Who the hell was he kidding? The woman he had in his arms could have anyone she wanted. 'But she is in yours.' 'Thank you little voice in the back of my head'. But it had a point, she was in his arms and he'd do anything to keep her there.

_So close _

_So close _

_And still so far_

Oh shit, Mal thought, I'm too far gone. Maybe… the music ground to an end. He loosenedd his arms so he could look at her

"Simone, I…"

"Yes?" Her eyes held him captive.

"I…I'm going to go get a drink would you like one?"

I nodded and smiled.

"Yes, thank you, Captain." I watched as he walked through the crowd and I let out a sigh of relief. I thought he was going to say he… Well, it didn't matter now. I had learned four things tonight in the span of that dance. One, Mal smells like gunpowder, danger and cinnamon. Two, he is a really good dancer; he didn't step on my foot once. Three, I was still in love with him, and four, it was completely hopeless. What would a man like Mal want in a girl like me? I sighed.

I felt a hand on my arm expecting it to be Mal back with my drink; I turned to find one of the boy's I had thoroughly humiliated standing there with two cronies and quite a bit more drunk.


	13. Chapter 13

Simon's turn Ch 13

(I own nothing.)

"Y-you stu-pid bitch." He slurred. "You m-made me l-look like a fool! Now you're g-going to sorry." I gagged on the amount of alcohol on his breath.

"I'm already sorry for the headache you are going to be in pain tomorrow." I turned to look for Mal, and felt the hand on my arm tighten.

"Y-you little…" That appeared to be the extent of his vocabulary. Then the goons walked towards me and the game was over.

"If you don't let go of me in the next ten seconds you will be hurt." He laughed and once again I wish for Mal to hurry up. I could take these bullies but, one I didn't need to be arrested for battery, two Inara would kill me if I got blood on this dress and three Mal didn't need to be in another duel.

"You couldn't punch a hole in a wet paper bag! So how are you going to hurt us?"

"I never said I was the one who was going to hurt you." And then in a loader voice. "This man laid hands on me!" And I must say the guard's response time is impressive. The man upon seeing the guard walking toward us released my arm.

"Is there a problem?" Asked a very large and very scary guard who looked like he had had a long night already and was not looking forward to another incident.

"This man laid hands on me! I'm married!"

"Ma'am, where is your husband?" Shit I had not expected him to ask that question.

"That would be me." I felt an arm wrap around my waist and I leaned back into the chest of our previously elusive Captain.

"What took you so long?" I hissed.

"I was looking to see if there were any more job opportunities." He whispered in my ear and I felt something on my finger.

"I didn't do anything wrong and look she's not wherein a wedding band." I felt Mal raise up my hand and I gasped as I saw that there was a rather nice wedding band on my hand.

"That wasn't there before!" The guard finally caught the scent of the man's breath because he pulled a very comical face before hauling the man away.

"I'm so sorry for my son's behavior." My husband and I turned to see our contact standing there. "Will you be pressing charges?" I shook my head.

"Well as at least let me give you a job and I'll even double the payment, for all the trouble my son caused you. I'll have my men drop off everything in the morning."

"Thank you." I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to get my coat."

"You have a lovely wife." He said watching Simone walk away.

"Yep I'm very lucky to have her."

"She have a sister?"

"Yes and you should see her boyfriend." Mal watched her for a second more and then turned and began to talk business.

We had a job and I was beat. Mal and I were walking back to Serenity and it was dark out, but not dark enough to keep us from noticing two meat sacs from the party following us. Mal wrapped an arm around me.

"You see them too?" Mal nodded.

"Sweetheart you don't live in the black this long and not now when someone is following you. You want to run or fight?"

"Fight but I get to lead." Mal chuckled as we turned to face them.

"You it's rather rude and creepy to follow people around at night." Mal called out to the not so sneaky stalkers.

"You two need to come with us." The less retarded looking of the two said.

"No I don't think so." Mal said as I handed him my coat.

"You think you can take on both of us little man?" The more retarded one said guffawing.

"I know I can but you'll be fighting the lady. You see she has had to sit through six hours of torture and is really in the mood to hurt some people and I'm going to let her." I turned to face my opponents, at this point I didn't care if I got dirt or more likely blood on Inara's dress, I wanted to have a fight and I was going to get one.

"Fight the ity bity little lady?" That. Was. It. I lunged. Landing a solid kick to one's family jewels and as he doubled over I brought up my foot and planted it in his face, sending him reeling backwards. The other one made a grab for me, I slammed my fist into his gut and grabbing his collar threw him in to a dumpster. Unfortunately I didn't see the other tweedle get back up. I turned just in time to brace myself for impact. It never came; I opened my eyes to see Mal standing over the crony, shaking out his hand.

"You know they have really bony faces." He said looking at me. I laughed.

"Come on let's get back before they think we got lost and come looking." Mal took me by the hand and together we walked back to Serenity. They didn't notice the man standing in the ally.

"That's my girl." He said a smile on his scruffy face. "I've finally found you."

We walked onto Serenity to find everyone had gone to bed.

"Well I guess I should head onto bed." I said handing Mal back the ring. I turned to go and really wished that I was walking in the other direction with Mal and that that ring was on my finger. I thought about when we danced, how I would have given anything to have frozen time and not had to come back to the real world. I turned the corner leading into the common room to find Kaylee and Inara glaring at me.

"What?"

"You're late." Inara snarled like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on.

"I have a curfew? I asked walking into my bunk and starting to wiggle my way out of the dress they had forced me into.

"Yes! What if something had happened to you? A lunatic could have run off with you!" Inara said as I through her the dress.

"I went with Mal so I was already with a lunatic." I pulled on my recently modified sleep pants and an old t-shirt.

"Mal's not a lunatic."

"You remember his plan on our last trip to Persephone?" I asked scrubbing the makeup and whatever else they had smeared on my face, off.

"Ok so Mal is a lunatic at times but still you could have died!"

"Kaylee what crawled up Inara's butt and died violently?"

"Our dates stood us up." Kaylee said.

"Really, you went to the right restaurant?" I turned to face them, leaning against the edge of the sink.

"Yep, we ended up just having some girl time." I smiled finally understanding their dilemma.

"Oh, then you weren't stood up."

"What?" I sighed, it had been a long night and I wanted to go to bed and dream of a certain captain whisking me around a dance devoid of any drunken assholes.

"Inara Serra meet your date Kaylee Frye."

"W-What? No Simone it's not like that." Kaylee said not looking at Inara.

"Really because after you said that you both started looking like you were going to cry. And this game of 'this will go away if I ignore it' is really starting to get on my nerves. So you two," I handed them a book. "Please read the page that each diary is turned to." They did and I watched as they read and then realizing what they were reading turned to look at what the other was reading.

"Oh my god that's my diary!" They screamed in unison and then they looked at each other.

"Now you both know how the other one feels and I'm certain you two have a lot to talk about." I said ushering them out of my room. "So you two go find your happy ending somewhere other than my room. Goodnight." I slammed the door and flopped down on my bed. Finally peace, quiet and if one more person bugs me they ain't going to like their next examination.

(to my readers: I may not be able to update till after June 3, and I will try to update as fast as I can!)


	14. Chapter 14

Simon's turn Ch 14

(I own nothing)

I was looking at a road as it stretched on and on for years. On one side of the road were Mal and the crew, on the other were bloody bright blue gloves, and in the middle of them was Carl, a sickly grin on his face. He raised one gloved hand and pointed at me.

"What will you do?

When they go?

Because they're going to leave you just like Sam did.

When I catch you

Who should I start with? River? Mal? Or maybe sweet little Kaylee?"

"You're not going to touch them!"

His smile grew.

"But I already have." I turned to look at the other side of the road and saw no one. I turned back to look at Carl and screamed, but no sound came out. I clawed at my throat willing the sound to come out.

There was Carl, a bloody scalpel in his hand, and on the ground, tangled in the gloves, were the corpses of the people I loved.

"Funny, the tool you used to heal them was the one that killed them," Carl said examining the rusty blade.

"And now the one that will kill you." He began to walk towards me, I tried to run but found I was unable to move. Looking down I screamed another soundless scream at the sight of over a dozen gory blue hands pulling at my legs. I struggled at them, still screaming, praying that someone would hear me, but the one who would save me was lying on the ground, his heart torn from his chest.

I slipped and landed hard on the ground, the hands holding me down as Carl neared. As he reached me his smile grew to an inhuman contortion and he loomed over me. Crouching down he leaned till his lips brushed my forehead and then he moved them to my ear.

"Let's see what makes you tick shall we?" I struggled as he took the scalpel and began to make the first cut. I screamed as a searing pain over took my left side and then spread to my whole abdomen. I screamed and for the first time I felt my mouth move and sound came out as his laughter mixed with it to create a sickening melody. I thrashed about trying to break free but the hands held me firmly in place.

"Hold her still!" The voice was like the scalpel cutting through my skin it was out of place, a wrong note in the symphony Carl was conducting.

"I'm trying!"

"Don't just stand there you great oaf help me!" The hands were tighter than ever and I shrieked at the pain.

"Don't hurt her you moron!"

"You try it and see how you fare!"

"What in the name of all things sacred are you doing?"

"Something's wrong sir, she just started screaming and woke us up."

I was struggling even harder now trying to find the voices bodies. And then I heard a voice in my ear, a very familiar voice. And the hands let go as I felt something lift me free of their grasp.

"It's okay. I'm here." That's all I heard and I turned away from Carl's grotesque face to look in to the eyes of Mal's body. He was holding me and I watched as the world I saw turned in to the world that was.

Mal was sitting on my bed holding me close, and the crew stood nearby, there their eyes filled with worry, but breathing and devoid of harm. I turned back to look at Mal, to see if he was just as healthy. My heart froze as I saw his shirt was bright red. I panicked, grabbing a hand full of his shirt I tore open it sending buttons flying to all corners of the room. My hands looked for the gash my heart feared was there. They weren't. I ran my hands over the smooth expanse of flesh, my fingers reading the stories each scare told finding the library complete with out any new arrivals. I leaned in and rested my head on his chest directly over his heart, I sat and listed to its beat, no Mal's beat. It was strong and steady lulling me to sleep and at the same time keeping the nightmare at bay.

"Would you two like a moment alone?" Then every thing came into perspective.

It was a nightmare, I had screamed which had woken up the crew causing them to run in here like mad men thinking we had another Jubal Early incident, upon finding me in the state of distress that would scare Attila the Hun, attempted to wake me up and hold me down to stop any bodily harm, and they in turn woke up Mal, who woke me up and was now looking at me with both eyebrows raised and a shredded shirt. They were ether raised out of concern for me and general fear for my well being or they were raised because he had woken me from a nightmare and upon awakening I had torn open his shirt and rubbed my self all over his chest in front of the entire crew. This day was off to a great start and it was only two in the morning. And the cherry on top was that I was only wearing a shirt and unmentionables.

"Simone you okay? We heard you screaming and came running."

"I'm fine. I'm sorry it was just a nightmare." Zoe and Mal exchanged a look. "You guys better get back to bed." They began filing out the door, Zoe gave Mal another meaningful glance before following her husband and River hugged me close.

"I had you and now it's his turn." She whispered before dancing off to bed. I turned to look at Mal.

"Um…Sorry about the…" I motioned to his shirt. He waved it off.

"Didn't much like the shirt anyway. What was the nightmare about?" I looked at him and pulled out of his arms.

"I don't want to talk about it." Mal shrugged, thought for a moment, sighed, and flopped back on my bed pulling up the covers and moving a pillow under his head.

"Well goodnight then." I stared at him.

"And just what do you think your doing?"

"Sleeping." He said without opening his eyes.

"But this is my bunk."

"Oh really I hadn't noticed." He muttered rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in MY pillow.

"Mal…" I said my voice low and threatening. "Get off my bed."

"Nope." I shoved him, well I tried to shove him off the bed, but he hunkered down and held on to the edge.

"Mal would you please leave so I can sleep?"

"That would be counter productive." I rolled my eyes.

"And why is that?"

"Because if you have the nightmare again and decide to wake everyone up again. It will be easier for me to just stay here and wake you up then have to walk here all the way from mine to wake you up." My face went red as I realized the other problem.

"Mal in case you forgot you're a man and I'm…not any more."

"I'm certain you can contain yourself." I smacked him and stole the covers.

"Fine but you're sleeping on the floor." Mal rolled over to face me.

"The cold hard metal floor?" I was facing away from him but I could feel his puppy eye on the back of my head.

"No, I mean the soft one made out of cotton candy; of course I meant that floor! Do you see any other one?" I was cranky at the moment; I just wanted to sleep without Mal in the room whining. And just because I could I kicked him in the gut as hard as I could and I would have seceded if he hadn't seen it coming. So instead of hitting him and hopefully knocking him off the bed, I ended up underneath him and not liking the look he was giving me.

"Simone." He growled.

"Fine sleep on the bed." Anything to get him off of me, he smiled and rolling off me also rolled off the bed.

"Ouf!" I couldn't help it… I laughed and I kept laughing until he climbed back on the bed and glared at me.

"Go. To. Sleep." He said flopping down on the bed.

"Um…Mal?"

"What?" He mumbled his face reburied in my pillow.

"Can I sleep on the side closer to the door?"

"No."

"But I'm a little claustrophobic and well-"

"Simone go to sleep."

"You're the one who wanted to sleep in here." I muttered turning my back on him and finally falling back asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

( I own nothing!)

Simon's turn Ch 15

I open my eyes. No nightmares. I smile as the arms around me tighten; pulling me closer to the warm chest my head is lying on.

"You awake?" Asks the voice behind me still gruff from sleep.

"No."

"Well we need to get up. You have to look after River and I have to watch over everyone else." I felt the bed grow cold as he slid out of bed and then out the door. I lay there willing the bed to fill with warmth again but alas I was forced to get up by the growl coming from my stomach. Slipping from bed, I slid into some clothes that Kaylee and Inara had loaned me since all my adjusted clothes were dirty and the rest I was too busy to fix. I walked out of my bunk in a pink wrap skirt and a white lace tank top. Not my style in the least but better than dirty clothes.

Walking to the kitchen I notice Kaylee walking towards me.

"So how did thing go with Inara last night?"

"Oh we talked, then I went back to my bunk and got a good night's rest." How in the world did she survive out here in the black when she can't lie to save her life?

"Uh huh."

"It's the truth!"

"Okay, if you say so, then it must be the truth." I walk past her. "But you may want to cover the truth that hickey on your neck and Inara's lipstick are telling before you see Jayne." I smile as I hear her curse and run for her bunk.

"You teasin' poor little Kaylee?" I smile at the voice.

"Sorry, Captain it's just too much fun." I turn to look at him and meet his eyes.

"We just spent the night dancing, beating up bad guys and slept in the same bed. I think it would be okay for you to call me Mal." And instead of the usual banter things get awkward and I hate it.

"So Inara and Kaylee, huh?"

"Yep." We're nodding our heads like morons looking anywhere other than each other. "So I'm on my way to breakfast."

"I'll walk you there." Could this get any more uncomfortable? Yes it can.

As we reach the kitchen he turns to look at me.

"Simone, I…"

"Yes, Mal?" Is he going to say what I think he's going to say? Do I want to hear 'it'? What if he doesn't say 'it'? What if he says the opposite of 'it'? What if I'm wrong and he doesn't feel 'it' like I do?

"Simone, I just wanted to say that-"

*WHAM*

The ship jerks violently and we go flying. I bang against the wall and hit the ground. Then an arm wraps around me and Mal pins me to the floor with his body, stopping us from banging around. Then Wash's voice crackles over the comm.

"_Hold on to something, travelers, we're in for a bumpy landing."_

Mal presses closer and grips the floor grating so hard his hands bleed as the ship rocks, jerks and jumps on its descent to the ground. Finally the ship gives a final lurch and lands on the ground.

"_Crew check in."_

"_This is Kaylee, I'm in the engine room."_

"_Book, I'm in the cargo bay with Jayne."_

"_Inara, I'm with River in my shuttle."_

"_Zoe, I'm in my bunk."_

Mal stood and punched the kitchen's comm.

"This is the Captain, I'm in the kitchen with the Doc. Kaylee, what the hell happened?"

"_I don't know, Captain."_

"Well tell me when you find out."

"You know, Mal, you could call me by my name." I smirk at him. Then silence falls and I can feel awkwardness trying to creep its way back in between us.

"Simone, what I was trying to tell you before one of Wash's less pleasant landings was that…" He cleared his throat. "Simone" He reaches out and takes my hand pulling me to my feet. "What I'm trying to say is-"

"_Captain, we have a problem!"_

"What sort of problem?"

" _Alliance ships closing in fast sort of problem."_ My heart froze as my eyes met Mal's.

"Wash, open the bay doors. Book, you and Jayne move Simone's and River's things into Kaylee's room. Zoe, go get the ownership papers. Inara, get your shuttle ready to take off on Wash's signal, and fly to the nearest town. Simone will be there in a second. When you get to town lay low till I send a wave." He turns and looks at me not realizing he hadn't let go of my hand.

"Simone, I-"

"Save it till we're not in danger."

"When are we not in danger? Don't you know? We have known fugitives on the ship." I smack him as I walk past to Inara's shuttle but he grabbed my arm, turning me to face him.

"Be careful." I nod and walk to Inara's shuttle.

(Mal's POV)

I watch as she walks away and my heart aches with worry. Damn Alliance still screwing up my life. Walking to the cargo bay, I barely manage to not get hit by Jayne running past me with River's suitcase in his hands. I take up my post at the bay doors as an Alliance officer steps out of one of the four ships and walk up the ramp towards me.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" His smile is as fake as his hair and looks just as bad.

"If I say no, will it matter?" I say smiling back at him trying not to shoot him. He chuckles.

"We saw your less than pleasant landing and wanted to see if you boys were okay." We wanted to see if you were dead so we could ransack your ship to see if this hunk of junk had anything of value on it. Funny how what the mouth says is rarely what the eyes tell you. "Do you need any help?"

Not from you. "Our mechanic is looking at her as we speak."

"Hm. Do you mind if I see your papers while my boys look around?"

"Here." I hand over the papers. "But do you mind me asking why your boys want to look around? I ain't got nothing to hide." Then he sneers at me and my trigger finger twitches.

"There is a pair of fugitives on the loose said to be traveling on a Firefly transport. Just need to make sure it ain't yours." I nodded and tried not to hit any of the officers as they filed past me. I also heard the sound of the shuttle taking off, leaving no trace it had ever been there.

Mal turned to help the moron with the paperwork. He never saw the man in the cruiser. He never noticed the blue gloves on the man's hand. And he never saw the feather still superglued to the man's neck.

(Back to Simone POV)

The town was small and quaint, the people were friendly and best of all no wanted posters to be seen. Yahoo.

It had been three hours already and no news from Mal but I wasn't worried…well, maybe a little.

"Look a duck!" River ran up to me holding what I'm guessing was supposed to be a duck; it looked a little more like a snake that swallowed a large rock.

"River, honey, put that down and come help me pick out some food to take back for dinner." River smiled and ran to put the duck back where she found it…I hope. Inara smiled at me and I smiled back, a real smile something that had been rare in the last few months. We go back to looking through the soup cans and picking out the least disgusting looking ones and putting them in the basket.

"So you and Kaylee?"

"Yep."

"She's a sweet girl; she'll be good for you." I can see Inara smile at the words.

"So… you and the Captain?"

"Sadly nothing happened of the romantic sort."

"Really? After you tore open his shirt and wrapped yourself around him he didn't make a move?"

"Nope."

"He's either the most considerate man in the world or you had a better chance with him before you added an 'e' to the end of your name." I rolled my eyes.

"I just don't know what to do? Do I tell him? Do I not tell him? Do I even want him to know?" I finally look at her and she gives me a pitying smile.

"The Captain is as confusing to me as he is to you."

"Well what would you do?"

"As you well know I did nothing and still got what I wanted because a very nosy friend of mine decided that I needed that person and if I wasn't going to get them on my own they were going to stick their nose where it didn't belong and make me move."

"Well it worked didn't it?"

"You misunderstand. I'm not complaining. I got what I wanted." She smiles at me as we pay for our purchases.

As we walk down the street River dances ahead, and Inara talks about our loved ones and what makes them just that. It has now been six hours since leaving Serenity and I still wasn't worried, no, I was losing my mind with fear, worried would have been putting it way too lightly.

"Her cheerfulness, she always makes me smile no matter what. Captain's right, nothing in the universe can keep Kaylee from being cheerful." I listen to her words and can hear the love in every breath. "What about you? What first attracted you to the Captain?" I blush.

"You're going to think it's stupid."

"I won't, I promise." She held her hand up in the Girl Scout pose from the earth that was.

"He-He made me feel safe." She looked at me like I knew she would, like I had lost my mind.

"The Captain hated you! He hit you, nearly shot you and wanted to turn you over to the Alliance! How in the 'verse did that make you feel safe?" I blush harder.

"I don't know… He just does. Even when I first met him he made me feel protected. I just knew that everything was going to be okay. Even when he hit me, stuck a gun in my face and threatened to turn me over to the Alliance."

"Simone…"

"Yes?"

"There is something wrong with you." I laugh because she's probably right. Then the footsteps that have been following us since we left the store veer to the right and I relax, before what they're really doing hits me. I barely have time to knock Inara out of the way before a net hits the ground where we had been standing just seconds before. I can see them in the darkness of the alley as they reel back the empty nets. Slave traders.

I snarl and push Inara and River behind me. Crouching and ready to pounce on the nearest goon, I hear Inara take a step backwards.

"Run!" Suddenly Inara is dragging me and River behind her as she beelines out of there in the direction of the shuttle. And man can she run! I was having a hard time keeping up!

The back alleys twist and turn, leading us in a maze of muck and filth, the rats play games about our feet as we run for our lives or worse our freedom. We turn the last corner and there in the clearing is nothing. No shuttle, no escape, no hope. The walls on all sides are too high to climb and the only way out is the way we came.

I can hear the men closing in, readying their nets for the catch. I can't fight that many, especially if they aren't going to get close enough for me to hit, River's still hurt and Inara isn't good at hand-to-hand combat. We're trapped like rats, no not even because the rats in the alley are looking at us and they aren't caged, they at least still have their freedom. The footsteps come closer and my heart is like a drum in my ears as they come closer and closer.

I never told him. I never said it because I was scared that I would lose him. And now I would never get the chance to tell him those three little words.

The men come into view, but they don't look like men, they look distorted like a nightmare on steroids. They're getting closer now, boxing us in, their meaty hands gripping the coarse rope waiting for the chance to spring their trap. I can already feel the pain of the rope biting into my body as one strokes his rope. A tear rolls down my face.

Why hadn't I told him? The fear seems so small compared to the fear I'm feeling now. Mal's warm blue eyes are all I want to think about and the safety that he brings. My eyes brim with tears at the thought of never seeing him again.

Then I see it. There in the far wall is a small crack just big enough for someone to slip through. I glance at Inara and nod at the crack, she sees it and nods. The distance between us and the wall is too great, even if we ran, only one would make it through at best. I look at my sister and kiss her on the cheek.

"I love you." The words aren't only for her and her eyes tell me that she knows it. I don't let her see my plan. And then Inara is pulling her towards the crack as fast as she can, I turn to look at the men as they run at me trying to get to River and Inara. And in the sound of pounding feet, screams of rage and fear, I hear my sister's voice.

"Daddy will come." And my heart breaks as I think about the last time she said that. I had no clue what she meant then, but now I did and my heart aches because this time Daddy wouldn't be coming for us.

I scream at the men as they charge at me, a war cry of a beast that knows it won't escape but will take as many down with it as it can.

I swing wildly, clawing and scratching, punching and biting, kicking and hissing. If they wanted to take me down, they were in for one hell of a fight. One man loses an eye to my nails, another loses his front two teeth to my fist and another loses a finger to my teeth. Then they move away and I see the last of Inara's skirt vanish as the weight of a net hit me in the back, sending me to the ground. I can feel them kicking me, till one stops them, warning them not to harm the merchandise and I want to be sick. My title as a human is taken away, my humanity, my nature, my freedom, and my life is torn from me as my hands are bound and a foul cloth is forced into my mouth. I'm hauled to my feet and dragged backwards out of the clearing into the alley. I can see the men trying to go after Inara and River through the crack, cursing as their size stops them. I feel laughter and bile rise in my throat at the sight.

I see the men at the crack reach for their guns and point them at me. I close my eyes. Then they fire. The pain, the fear and the worry are gone as a very familiar voice echoes out from behind me.

"Get your hands off my girl."


	16. Chapter 16

(I own nothing!)

Simon's turn Ch 16

The voice behind me is a familiar one. One I thought I would never hear again. But this isn't the warm voice that I had awoken to this morning. This one is cold and angry, and I am pretty sure has a gun behind it. I feel the man let go as he reaches for his gun. And then a gunshot resounds in the clearing.

Then all was quiet. My heart clenches as a pair of arms wrap around me. I struggle and twist trying to see whose gun had fired the shot.

"Let me go!" I'm screaming at this point, because now I know who's lying on the ground.

"You stupid whore! Stop struggling." I slam him in the gut with my elbow, managing to break free, and then I hear the sound of him slamming into the wall. I didn't think I hit him that hard.

But then the arms are back around me dragging me backwards. I move to hit, claw, or bite, anything to hurt him.

"You killed him you bastard!" I yell, if I can't hurt him with my fists, I'll at least break his eardrums.

"For the love of all things! Stop struggling woman!" That wasn't the voice of the slave trader. I still, then the handcuffs are gone and I turn to look at the man standing behind me. "Sorry for hitting him, I didn't know you were so attached."

"I thought it- you were on the ground- he shot you- how?"

"Armor, remember?" Mal smiles down at me and I wrap my arms around him. He pulls me tight and I try not to cry. I thought I had lost him, again. I hold on for dear life. Then he speaks as his hand strokes my hair.

"Simone, there is something very important that I have to tell you. I've tried but we always-" he's cut off by the crew's voices.

"Are you two okay?"

"Get interrupted, just like that." Mal groans as we turn to see the entire crew standing on one of the roof tops.

"We're fine!" I call out to the worried faces looking down at us. I turn back to Mal, but the look on his face tells me that I would not be getting anything out of him. Sighing at the lost chance, I turn to go and feel Mal take my hand and leading me out of what might have been my grave or worse.

When we got back to Serenity the couples split off to spend time alone. Inara and Kaylee went to Inara's shuttle to talk and so Inara could brush Kaylee's hair to calm down. River pulled Jayne away to go clean their guns and to stop his rage about killing any slave trader that dare lay a hand on her, or well any man in general. Zoe informed her husband that he had 'work' to do and dragged him off to their bunk. I watch as they leave, everyone has a match, a mate, a dopple, and me all by my lonesome. I turn to talk to either Book or Mal, but Book heads off to make dinner and Mal leaves to fly the ship.

I am writing down the events of the day in my journal when a thudding sound catches my attention. Then out of nowhere Mal comes running into the room full speed and slams the infirmary doors behind him. He turns to the curtains next and closes them, making sure that they're as closed as closed could be.

"Mal what in the world are you doing?" I am concerned for his sanity when I notice not only his odd behavior but the fact that he is muttering to himself as well. He stalks over to me, takes my hand and pulls me to him.

"Simone, I have been trying for a while to tell you something but other things have been getting in the way. The crew, the traders, all the men that look at you, but most of all my fear has been getting in the way. Simone…" He looks deep into my eyes. "I love you."

I stare at him as the words I hadn't even dared dream about come out of his mouth.

"I know that you could have anyone you want, that you probably don't want an old Browncoat. I know that you deserve everything the world has to offer and that I can't give you everything you deserve. And I know that I'm babbling and I know that you don't feel the same but I love you. I love you Simone, like I have loved no one else."

"I-I should be going, I'm sorry to have bothered you, I just-" I cut him off, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. I feel his arms wrap around me pulling me so close I can feel his heartbeat. We stood there like that for eternity, not two but one whole. The kiss deepens and I stand up on my tiptoes to be more level with him. Finally our need for oxygen makes me woozy and we pull apart.

"I love you too." His eyes went wide.

"Mal?"

"I just can't believe this is happening…" Mal muttered leaning down to once again capture my lips in a searing kiss. Then of course just as things are getting good.

"_Simone, have you seen the Captain? I can't find him and I need to talk to him abo-"_

I reach up and hit the off switch without releasing Mal from the kiss. This moment is ours and there is nothing that is going to get in the way. And the 'verse can kiss off and be eaten by Reavers for all I care.

His warm blue eyes look into mine. "I love you."

"I love you too." I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing those three words or saying them.

Slowly Mal unwraps me from his arms and sits in the only available chair, never taking his eyes off me. Upon realizing he has left me with either the really uncomfortable medical bed or the floor, he tries to stand but I have seen something he missed. I happily plop myself down in his lap, curling up into a ball as his arms wrap around me once again.

We talk after that; we talk for hours about anything and everything that everything and nothing to do with us. Finally it is what would be midnight if we had any way to tell time, and after one last kiss we go our separate ways.

Walking in to my bunk, I change and flop onto my bed, the kisses we shared still on my mind. Curling up, I pull the blankets close and try to sleep. I get nowhere. I toss, I turn and I curse, but I remain stubbornly awake. The bed is too cold no matter how I put the blankets and my pillow is either too soft or too hard and forever in the wrong shape. And the damn room is way too big.

I'm pissed. I'm tired and want nothing more than to sleep and dream of a certain blue-eyed Browncoat with a thing for suspenders. I sit up, throw off the covers and stalk from my room. I want to stomp to vent my anger, but everyone on the crew needed sleep as much as I did. I kick open the hatch door and drop down, closing it behind me.

"Wha?" I hear from the direction of the bed, I am slightly grateful since I couldn't actually see the bed and didn't want to be groping for it in the dark.

"Shut up and go back to sleep." I say climbing over the form on the bed to the far wall and wedging myself in between. Finally I am warm, my 'pillow' is the right shape and the room is just the right size.

"Simone? Are you sure you should be in here?"

"I'm sure you can control yourself, Captain." I mutter as finally I fall asleep in Mal's arms. My head resting on his upper arm, which I'm sure is falling asleep faster than he is, and his other arm around my waist. Yep, life is good.


End file.
